Love is on the Menu
by numba1fangirl
Summary: Destiel 50's diner AU. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:** I did a lot of research to try to make this accurate to the 50's, but I'm not perfect and since I wasn't alive in the 50's I'm sure I got something wrong, so please forgive me. However if you were alive in the 50's or you're a history buff or something, you're welcome to POLITELY correct me or give me tips in the reviews. Thank you._

* * *

Castiel sat in the booth at _Gabe's Diner_ with Anna and Balthazar. It was his first day at the university, so his brother and sister had dragged him out of his dorm room for a little fun despite all his complaining about having class in the morning.

"Come on, Cas," Balthazar had said in the British accent he'd picked up while going to school in England. "It's your first day! We just want to celebrate and show you our favorite diner."

"Yeah, Cas, it's becoming a tradition," Anna had said. "Balthazar took me here on my first day, too." Anna was attending the same school as Cas and studying to be a teacher—one of the few careers a woman could have. "We'll probably take Sam here when he starts school, too." Sam was short for Samandriel who was their little brother. Their parents had wanted to be unique when naming their kids. Unfortunately their "unique" names usually hadn't made them very popular at school. Cas was just glad he was in college now, where people were more mature.

Cas had just sighed, knowing they wouldn't leave him alone until he caved. "I'm grateful you're doing this for me. I really am. Just make sure we don't stay out too late because—"

Balthazar had waved a dismissive hand at him. "Yes, yes, we know. You have class in the morning."

"It doesn't hurt to be serious about your school work, Balthazar."

So now they were sitting in _Gabe's Diner_ with who-knows-what planned for afterwards.

The blonde waitress who'd given them their menus came back. "You folks ready to order?"

"Yes we are. Thank you, Jo," Balthazar said. He ordered chicken and a coke, Anna got a salad and a malt, and Cas got a burger and a shake.

As Jo walked away, the door opened and another customer walked in, immediately catching Castiel's attention. He was wearing a leather jacket and jeans and his golden brown hair was greased to perfection. Looking at him made Cas feel like a nerd in his black sweater vest and slacks, his hair combed neatly to the side. Castiel's eyes were drawn to the man's emerald green ones and then to the freckles sprinkled across his face. It was the most beautiful face he'd ever seen and it was also the final straw. Cas couldn't deny it any longer.

He was definitely gay.

Oh god, what if people found out? Were all those things people said about homosexuals true? He didn't _feel_ sick. And he didn't think he fit the stereotype of being overly feminine either. And he was absolutely _certain_ it wasn't a choice. Why would he choose to be gay when they got treated the way they do?

Castiel realized he'd been staring at the green-eyed man while these thoughts went through his mind, so he tore his gaze away and stared at the table instead.

"Cas?" Anna said with concern. "You alright? You look a bit flushed."

"I'm fine," Cas assured her. "But are you sure I can't go home? We can do this a different day."

"Ah, come on, Cassie!" Balthazar said. "We're making it a tradition to do this on the first night! One night out won't hurt you and we'll make sure to get you home in time so you can get your beauty rest. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I guess I'm just nervous about starting college," he lied.

"You'll be fine," said Balthazar. "You graduated top of your class in high school."

"You're probably right." Cas was desperate to change the subject to avert their attention to anything other than him. He was freaking out about the whole gay thing. He'd been suspecting it for a while, but suspecting it and actually admitting it to himself were two different things.

Thankfully their food came and Cas was able to take a big bite of his burger to discourage his siblings from asking him any more questions. As soon as he bit into the burger, he was in heaven. Burgers had always been Castiel's favorite and this was definitely one of the best burgers he'd ever eaten. He could see why Anna and Balthazar loved this place so much.

He couldn't help glancing over at the green-eyed man while he was eating. He was sitting at the counter eating the same burger as Cas along with a slice of pie. Cas tried to concentrate on eating his burger and listening to what Anna and Balthazar were saying, but soon he gave in again and glanced back over to the counter. Green-eyes was just getting up to leave. As he made his way to the door he glanced in Castiel's direction and there was a brief moment of eye contact before they both looked away. Cas could've sworn he saw the man blush.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter, so here's another one!_

_I failed to mention before that this story might move a bit slow because the 50's were homophobic after all. I'm also going to throw in a bit of 50's slang to try and make it authentic, especially when the dialogue starts picking up a bit, but I'm gonna try to keep it simple so y'all can understand it. If you don't understand some of the slang feel free to ask me. I might add in a few definitions at the bottom for you._

_And like I said before, I'm not perfect, so any and all feedback is welcome. I like it when people tell me what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong so I can improve my writing. So let me know in the reviews or in a PM or something._

_Anyway, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

A few days later, Castiel went back to _Gabe's Diner_. He was wearing a deep blue sweater vest because he'd been told it made his eyes stand out. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked inside. He took a seat at a booth with a good view of the counter and began to wait.

He hoped no one he knew would see him. He'd told everyone who asked that he was studying in his dorm tonight. _"But it's a Friday night! The semester's barely started! Don't be such a square!"_ they'd said. _"I'm trying to get ahead in my studies. It doesn't hurt to do well in school," _Castiel had told them. So as long as none of those people saw him here, he'd be fine.

It didn't even take thirty seconds for him to start regretting the whole plan. This was his third attempt to return to the restaurant and try to find the green-eyed man. The first two times he'd chickened out before even making it in the restaurant. He was starting to wish he'd chickened out this time, too.

What was he doing here? He had no idea if the man would come back to the diner today or if he'd even come back at all. He could've just been passing through town or something. And even if he did show up, it wasn't like anything was going to happen. There was a very slim chance that he was gay and an even slimmer chance that he'd admit it. _Maybe I should just leave,_ he thought. _I don't even know the guy anyway and I'm probably not his type._

By some miracle, the green-eyed man walked through the diner doors just as Cas was about to give up on the whole idea. His face was just as perfect as Cas remembered it. As he was walking to the counter, he noticed Castiel sitting in the booth and nodded his head in his direction. Cas had to remember how to breathe.

No one had ever made Castiel feel this way before and he most certainly had never felt this way about a girl before. He always knew which girls the other guys liked, but he was never able to look at them that way. The green-eyed man was totally different. He was having feelings that he was pretty sure made him a sinner just to think about them.

The man ordered the same thing he ordered the other day and Cas, too busy trying to figure out what to do now that he'd actually shown up, almost didn't notice when Jo came over to take his order.

"Um, I'll have a hamburger and a slice of apple pie, please," he said, handing her his menu.

"Coming right up," she said.

As he waited for his food, Cas started thinking of different ways he could strike up a conversation with the green-eyed man, but they all seemed stupid. What does a guy say to the man he's attracted to who's probably homophobic and could beat him to a pulp?

His nerves getting the best of him, he decided to retreat to the bathroom for a minute, so he slid out of the booth and stood up. But in doing so he accidentally knocked over Jo, who'd come to bring him his food. Hamburger and pie splattered all over the floor.

"I-I'm so sorry," Cas stammered, feeling every eye in the restaurant on them. He helped Jo up as she wiped pie and ketchup off her shirt. "I'll help you clean it up."

He knelt down and began picking up bits of hamburger and wiping the floor with napkins. But a second set of hands joined his on the floor and when he looked up he saw they belonged to the green-eyed man from the counter. Cas had to remind himself to close his mouth and stop staring. Had his mother taught him nothing about how rude it was to stare? He busied himself with cleaning up the food and tried to forget who was helping him.

Soon they had the whole mess cleaned up and the man grabbed Cas by the hand and helped him up. Cas relished in the physical contact. Once they were both on their feet, the man turned the hand grab into a handshake and introduced himself.

"I'm Dean. Dean Winchester."

"Castiel Novak."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long! I had a wedding to go to and then I got sick and a bunch of other things have been working against me. But you didn't come to read excuses, so sorry._

_Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! It's a little shorter than the others, but I had a lot of fun writing it because it's Cas and Dean's first conversation! Because there's a lot more dialogue in this chapter, there's also more slang. I tried to keep it simple and not put too much in, but let me know if there's something you don't understand._

_Like I already mentioned, I love feedback, so go ahead and leave me a review or send me a PM or something._

_But anyway, enjoy the chapter! The next chapter will be done faster I promise._

* * *

"Castiel Novak?" Dean asked. Cas nodded. "That's an odd name."

"It is pretty out of the ordinary," Cas admitted, looking at his feet and bracing himself for all the jokes and mean nicknames his name always earned him.

"It has a nice ring to it though," Dean said. Cas's head snapped up and he couldn't help tilting his head to the side and looking at Dean in confusion. That was definitely not the reaction he usually got from his name. Even the nice people just left it at "that's odd".

"You eating all by yourself?" Dean continued. "Because if you want you can come sit by me at the counter."

Did Dean look nervous? Cas wasn't sure. "Okay," he answered. They both slid onto stools and there was a brief moment of awkward silence as neither man knew what to say.

"So you like burgers and pie, huh? My kind of man," Dean said before taking a big bite of his burger. Cas's stomach did flips at the thought of being Dean's kind of man. He didn't know how to answer, but luckily he was saved by Jo brining him a new burger and slice of pie.

"So, uh, you new in town?" Dean asked, trying again to start a conversation. "I don't think I've seen you around before."

Cas nodded. "I just started college a few days ago."

"Really? So did my brother, Sam. He's always been the smart one in the family. Got himself a scholarship and everything. You should look him up. Whatcha studying?"

"History," Cas answered.

"History? So you like learning about dead people? Doesn't sound all that exciting," Dean said. Cas's face turned red. Of course Dean would think he's a nerd for liking history. Everyone else did. "Nah, that's actually pretty cool," Dean continued. "But whatcha wanna do with that degree anyway?"

Cas smiled with relief that Dean hadn't thought history was a lame degree. "Probably become a museum curator or maybe a professor," he said.

Dean nodded and took another bite of his burger.

"So, uh, what do you do?" Cas asked.

"Me? I got a gig down at _Singer's Auto Shop_. Bobby Singer's like a father to me and Sammy and boy do I love working with cars."

"You like cars?"

"I love cars. You should see my baby. She's a real beauty," Dean said with a strange new glint in his eye that Cas definitely liked.

"What kind of car is she?" Cas asked.

"A 1957 Chevrolet. Shiny black and boy can she burn rubber. I souped her up myself."

Cas whistled. He didn't actually know much about cars, but Dean loved them a lot, so he pretended to be more impressed by the make and model of the car than he actually was. "That is a nice car. But how could you afford such a new car on a mechanic's salary?"

"Been saving up to buy my own car since I was old enough to earn money, that's how," Dean said. "But like I said, you should see her sometime. That car is my prized possession."

"Well she sounds worthy of it," Cas said. "Maybe we could hang sometime and you could show her to me."

"Yeah maybe…" Dean trailed off. They made eye contact and held it for just a second too long. Dean cleared his throat and looked away and Cas blushed and looked at his half-eaten burger. "Well, I gotta split, Castiel," Dean sighed, getting off of his stool. "Or can I just call you Cas?"

"That's what my family calls me."

"Perfect. See you tomorrow?"

Cas nodded and Dean smiled the most beautiful smile Cas had ever seen.

"Great. Later gator."

"In a while, crocodile," Cas answered as he watched Dean walk out.

Boy was he in trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:** Hello! So here it is! The long awaited fourth chapter!_

_I know I promised this chapter would come quicker than the last one and that didn't happen, so I'm sorry. I could give you a long list of excuses as to why it's so late, but you don't want to hear them so let's just say it was a series of unexpected events._

_Anyway this chapter is in Dean's perspective (yay!) I thought you guys would like to see what was going on in his head since I've already done three chapters worth of Cas._

_There's also a lot of slang in this chapter so let me know if you don't understand anything._

_As always I LOVE feedback of any kind, so feel free to write me a review or send me a PM._

_Ok I'm done rambling. Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Dean walked down the street to his car and hopped in, thinking about Cas the whole time. He'd never met anyone that had that effect on him before. He'd known he was bisexual for a few years now, but he'd never told anybody, not even Sam. Dean had never acted on his feelings for men before either, but Cas was tempting him a lot more than the others. There was just something about him.

When he got home, Dean was still thinking about Cas. He got himself a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator and plopped down on the couch. He was about to turn on the radio when Sam came through the door.

"Hi, Dean! Beer in the fridge?" Dean just nodded and Sam retreated to the kitchen, coming back a few seconds later with a beer in his hand.

"Don't you have your own pad?" Dean asked. "Why do you always come over here and steal my beer?" Of course he didn't really mean that. He missed the days when Sam still lived at home with him. Now that Sam was at college, Dean sometimes got lonely being at home all by himself.

"What? I can't hang out with my own brother? Besides, I have to tell you about this amazing girl I met yesterday," Sam said. Then he noticed the look on his brother's face for the first time and stopped. "Wait a minute. Dean, did you meet someone too?"

"What? No!"

"You can't lie to me, Dean! It's written all over your face!"

"I didn't meet a girl, alright?" Dean insisted.

"I thought we were tight! Come on, you can tell me! What's she like?"

"There's nothing to tell! There is no girl!"

"Then what's buzzin', cuzzin? Why do you have that weird look on your face?" Sam asked.

"Are you writing a book? What's with all the questions?"

"Sorry, man. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's cool," Dean said. "Now tell me about this girl you met."

"Her name's Jessica and she's gorgeous. I'm on cloud nine whenever I'm with her, man. She might be the one," Sam said.

"Didn't you just meet her yesterday?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I can't already think she's a real cool chick." Dean couldn't argue with that, especially with the way he was feeling about Cas after only talking to him once.

"Well then, I'm happy for you. Have you asked her on a date yet?"

"No, but I'm planning on doing it tomorrow. Are you planning to go on a date with _your_ mystery girl?"

"Damn it, Sam! I told you I didn't meet anyone!"

"Cool it, man! I was just kidding! Don't have a cow."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to go ape on you."

"No sweat. I gotta go. See you tomorrow." Sam got up and left, leaving Dean alone with his thoughts.

Sitting there alone, he couldn't help but think of Cas. How soft his dark hair looked. His deep, dark blue eyes. Dean imagined the way Cas's lips would feel against his. Suddenly Dean realized where his thoughts were going and snapped himself out of it. Cas probably wasn't even gay. He looked too goody-two shoes for that with his sweater vest and combed hair.

Dean sighed and finished the last of his beer before heading to bed. That night he dreamed of blue eyes and sweater vests.

* * *

The next day Dean got up and went to work. Work was therapeutic. He got to spend all day doing something he loved and it kept his mind off of Cas. Nobody there suspected anything the way Sam did, but then again no one knew him as well as Sam did either.

Towards the end of the workday he started to get a little anxious. Finally it was closing time. As fast as he could, Dean washed up and hopped in his car to head to the diner.

"Where's the fire?" Bobby called after him as he sped away.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** Hey y'all!_

_This chapter is in both Dean and Cas's perspective, so I hope I did a good job at that. Also I added Crowley in to the story! I was thinking about how I wanted this chapter to go and he just sort of happened. So yeah I hope you like that little addition._

_As always, I absolutely love feedback, so leave a review or a PM if you want. If I'm doing something wrong, tell me! My feelings won't get hurt I promise. I love to improve my writing._

_So anyway, enjoy the chapter! The next one will come soon._

* * *

It was Saturday, the day after Dean and Cas's first talk in the diner. Naturally, Anna was doing her best to be a good sister by trying to get Cas to go do something fun for once.

"Come on, Cas!" she said. "My friends and I are going to a dance tonight. Why don't you come with us?"

"I can't," he answered.

"Why not? You're not gonna tell me you have homework again, are you? Because I won't believe you."

"I have…plans."

"Castiel, do you have a _date_?" Anna asked with disbelief.

"No! I just have plans!" Cas could feel his face getting red.

"Maybe it's not _officially_ a date, but you definitely like this girl!" Anna insisted. "What's she like?"

"There is no girl! Leave me alone!"

"Fine. But I'm telling Balthazar. He'll be able to get it out of you."

* * *

Cas got to the diner that night just as Dean pulled up in his car. It was shiny black with fins and even though Cas didn't know much about cars, even he had to admit it looked pretty good.

"What do ya think?" Dean asked, grinning from ear to ear and gesturing to the car. She was his pride and joy, so he was both excited and nervous to show her to Cas.

"She's beautiful!" Cas answered, also smiling.

"Wanna go for a ride?" Dean asked. "I know a stretch of highway not far from here that doesn't get a lot of traffic, so we could really burn rubber."

Cas grinned. "I'd love to."

Ten minutes later they were cruising down a long stretch of asphalt, windows down, the wind in their hair, and Elvis Presley playing loudly out the car radio. They came up to a light just as it turned red, so Dean slowed to a stop. Just then a black hot rod with an exposed engine and flames painted on the side pulled up next to them. The driver was a greaser with black hair and in the passenger seat was a beautiful blonde girl wearing sunglasses.

"Hey Winchester!" called the driver. "Who's that square in the car with you? You runnin' a loser outreach program?"

Cas blushed and looked down at his grey sweater vest, so he didn't see the angry look on Dean's face.

"Cas is cool, Crowley, he's with me," Dean said.

"That's what makes him a loser, Losechester," Crowley said. "I mean, just look at your wheels."

Crowley was crossing all sorts of lines today. Dean didn't care if he insulted him, but insulting Cas and insulting his baby was just going too far. "What's wrong with my car?" Dean demanded.

"Well, it's not a hunk of junk, but she's nothing special either," Crowley said.

"She could sure as hell beat your tin can!"

"Alright, Winchester. You've got yourself a race. You me, down to the next light."

"You're on!" Dean agreed. While they were talking, the light had turned from red to green and back again, so the two of them started revving their engines while they waited.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Dean?" Cas asked quietly. He'd never been in a street race before and frankly he was terrified.

"Yes."

"But isn't this illegal?"

"Just trust me on this, Cas."

As soon as the light turned green, Dean and Crowley took off down the road. They were wheel to wheel, neither car giving the other an inch.

"Come on, baby! Show em' what you got!" The blonde yelled. Crowley stepped on the gas, but so did Dean. Dean started pulling ahead when suddenly a car pulled onto the highway in his lane. It was an old man driving at about half the speed limit and Dean had to slam on the breaks so hard he left skid marks.

"Later boys!" Crowley said as he breezed past them and finished the race. Dean cursed loudly and turned the car around to head back into town.

"I could've beaten him," Dean muttered as he drove. Cas didn't know what to say, so he remained silent. "If that damned old man hadn't pulled out in front me…"

"Let's just go back to the diner and get a burger, ok?" Cas said. "You'll beat him next time."

"You don't understand, Cas," Dean explained. "Crowley thinks he's some big shot and I was trying to knock him down a peg. And he insulted you! And my baby!" Cas couldn't help but smile at how protective Dean already was of him.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it right now, so we might as well go back to the diner and try to forget about him. Besides, you don't have to get so worked up over him putting me down. I'm used to it by now." That was true enough, but what Cas didn't say was that it always hurt just as much no matter how many times it happened.

"Hang with me and I'll make sure you never get picked on again," Dean assured him. He didn't know what it was about Cas, but he felt very protective of him. Normally he wouldn't even give people like him the time of day, but Cas was different.

"Thanks, Dean," Cas said, looking out the window to hide the giant smile on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's** **Note:**_ _Hello my dear readers!_

_I know what ya'll are thinking, "Another chapter already? What is with this girl?" Truth is the writing gods must be with me or something because this chapter practically wrote itself._

_Anyway, I don't have much to say this time except the usual. Any kind of feedback is greatly encouraged so leave me a review or a PM._

_Hope you like the chapter!_

* * *

Monday came which meant back to school for Cas. He woke up that morning thinking about the wonderful weekend he'd had with Dean. He still couldn't believe he'd managed to find Dean and talk to him at the diner for the first time that Friday. And then of course there was everything that had happened on Saturday. After the race, they'd stayed at the diner talking until it closed and Gabe the owner had to kick them out. Unfortunately he'd had to spend Sunday away from Dean because he had to go to church and then have Sunday dinner with his parents. He felt a little guilty going to church while thinking such sinful thought about Dean, but he knew if he didn't go his family would start asking too many questions.

Lost in his thoughts on his way to class, Cas accidentally ran into a tall man with shaggy brown hair, causing them both to drop their books everywhere.

"Sorry," Cas said, bending down and scooping up the books as quickly as possible.

"It's alright," the man said, squatting down to help him. "I'm Sam Winchester by the way," he said when they'd finished, holding out his hand for Cas to shake.

Cas's mouth fell open for a moment, but he quickly snapped it shut and shook Sam's hand. "Castiel Novak," he said. "Do you have a brother named Dean?"

"Yeah, I do," Sam answered. "How do you know Dean?"

"I met him at _Gabe's Diner_ the other day."

"Oh," Sam said. "_Oh._ Was that on Friday by any chance?"

"Yes. Why?"

Sam shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "No reason. See you around, Castiel."

Cas just stood there for a moment, thoroughly confused as he watched him walk away. What did Sam know—or think he knew—about him and Dean?

* * *

Sam stopped by _Singer's Auto Shop_ after class to talk to Dean.

"Hey Bobby!" he said.

"Sam! Long time, no see! Why don't you ever visit once in a while?"

"Sorry, Bobby. I'll try to come around more often. Do you know where Dean is?"

"He's over there," he said, pointing to a pair of boots sticking out from under a blue truck.

"Dean!" he called, walking over to the boots.

"Hey Sammy!" Dean's voice said from under the truck. "I'm a bit busy right now, so I can't come out."

"That's okay. I'll just talk from here," Sam answered. "Guess what? I asked Jess out and she said yes!"

"That's great, Sammy! Where are you taking her?"

"I was thinking about taking her to the drive-in theater which is why I needed to talk to you…" he hesitated before continuing. "Can I borrow your car?"

"When? Tonight?" Dean asked.

"Yeah tonight."

"I don't know, Sammy…"

"Why not?" Sam asked. "Do you need it to go meet Castiel at the diner? You can just walk, Dean."

Dean came out from under the truck so fast he hit his head on the bumper. Sam had to stifle a laugh.

"How do you know about Cas?" Dean demanded, rubbing the spot on his forehead where he could feel a bump forming.

"I met him this morning at school. Now can I use your car or not?"

"Fine." Dean threw the keys to Sam. "But there better not be a scratch on her, you understand?"

"I'll be careful, Dean, don't worry," Sam promised as he turned to leave. "And tell Cas I said hi."

* * *

Cas was starting to get worried. Dean was much later than usual. Did something happen to him? Or did he finally decide to just ditch him? He hoped it was just something as simple as getting held up at work, but he couldn't be sure. How long should he wait here for him before going home?

He heard the bell ring as the door was opened and turned around. Much to his relief, it was Dean coming into the diner. He was twenty minutes late, but he came, and that's all that mattered to Cas.

"Sorry I'm late, Cas," he said. "I had to walk because I let Sam borrow my car. He's got a date tonight. Oh and he told me to tell you he says 'hi'."

"So he told you we met?"

"Yeah. What do you think of him, by the way?"

"He's huge and his hair's a mess, but he seems really nice," Cas answered.

Dean laughed. "That sounds about right."

Cas smiled. He loved Dean's laugh and it was so easy to talk to him. He was so happy he didn't think anything could ruin the moment.

"Cas! Fancy meeting you here!" said a familiar British accent. Cas froze. _Not now!_ he thought. "Who's your friend?"

Dean and Cas both turned around. "This is Dean," Cas said. "Dean, this is my brother, Balthazar."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:** Hi everyone!_

_I know I left y'all on a bit of a cliffhanger last time, but I tried to finish this chapter as fast as I could so I wouldn't leave ya hanging too long. It took a little longer than I was hoping though because it just didn't want to be written._

_Anyway, I hope you like it! As always, send me a review or a PM to tell me what you think!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"Dean, this is my brother, Balthazar."

"Nice to meet you," Balthazar said, shaking his hand.

"Ditto," Dean said.

"What are you doing here?" Cas asked.

"What, I can't eat dinner at my favorite restaurant?" he said. "But I'm glad I ran into you. I would've asked you this over Sunday dinner, but of course I was on a business trip. Anna is under the impression that you went on a date Saturday night. Is that true?"

"It wasn't a date," Cas said quietly, blushing bright red. His eyes shifted quickly to Dean and back to Balthazar before he could stop himself.

Balthazar's eyes lit up with understanding. He shifted his weight awkwardly. "Ah," he said. "I'm assuming you were with Dean then? Right. Well, I'm glad you made a new…friend. I'll be going now. Let you two chat and all that. Goodbye." He walked out the door leaving the two of them sitting awkwardly at the counter.

"What was that about?" Dean asked when he was gone.

"My sister Anna wanted me to go dancing with her and some friends on Saturday and I told her I had plans. She must have misinterpreted that as a date," Cas mumbled, his face turning redder than ever.

"Oh." They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment or two before Cas couldn't take it anymore.

"I've gotta go," he said before running out of the diner. Dean was left sitting at the counter, trying to hold onto his heart as it plummeted to his feet.

* * *

Cas ran down the street until he caught up with Balthazar.

"Cas! Shouldn't you be in the diner with Dean?" Balthazar asked.

"What the hell Balthazar?" Cas yelled.

"Cool it, Cas! I've never heard you use such strong language! What did I do to deserve it?"

"You embarrassed me in front of Dean! And you made it sound like I thought hanging out with him was a _date_!"

"Come on, Cas! You and I both know what's going on here!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Cas demanded.

Balthazar leaned in really close and spoke so quietly it was almost a whisper. "You know, you _like_ Dean." Then leaning back out he said at a normal volume, "But of course that's perfectly fine with me. Might not want to broadcast it to the rest of the world, though. Probably not even the rest of the family."

"Of course I like Dean. He's my friend," Cas said, although of course he knew that's not what Balthazar meant.

"Get with it, Cas. You know that's not what I meant."

Cas couldn't believe what he was hearing. But then again if anybody was going to be understanding it would be Balthazar. "Is it that obvious?" he mumbled, looking at his feet.

"Cassie, you're head over heels," Balthazar said. "But if it's any consolation, I think he likes you, too."

"You do?"

"Of course I can't be sure," Balthazar said. "I only saw him for about thirty seconds. But he seemed to be embarrassed rather than disgusted after what I said, so that's a good sign."

Could Balthazar be right? Was it possible Dean actually liked him? Cas didn't want to allow himself to hope.

"Just stay out of it, Balthazar," he said. "I can figure this out on my own."

"Whatever you say, Cassie."

* * *

Dean sat at the counter feeling crushed after Cas left. Did the idea of going on a date with him really make Cas so uncomfortable and disgusted that he had to run out? Sighing, Dean got up and left. When he got outside he remembered Sam had his car. Letting out another sigh, he began to trudge home.

He was so lost in his thoughts he almost didn't notice the man sitting on the curb with his head in his hands.

"Cas?"

Cas looked up from his spot on the curb. He'd stopped there to sit on his way back to his dorm so he could clear his mind for a moment. "Dean?"

"Why'd you run out on me man? Are you alright?" Dean asked, sitting down next to him.

Cas had the strong urge to lean his head against Dean's shoulder, but he restrained himself. "I'm fine," he answered. "I just needed to speak to my brother."

Dean could tell he was definitely not fine, but he wasn't sure if he should just drop it or not. "Are you sure you're alright? Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't want to talk about it," Cas said even though that was what he really wanted to do. He just knew he couldn't with Dean.

Dean's face fell, a little hurt that Cas didn't trust him with his problems, but he reminded himself that they'd really only known each other for less than a week.

"Well I'm here if you ever change your mind and decide you do wanna talk."

"Thank you, Dean." They sat quietly after that, each lost in their own thoughts.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note:** Hello! I'm back!_

_Two chapters in one day? What? I know, I'm just that generous. But you should know that I was pretty evil in this chapter. Forgive me. Every author has to do something evil at some point in their career._

_Send me a review or a PM and let me know what you think!_

_Once again, I'm sorry for what you are about to read._

* * *

"Hey, Dean!" Sam said. It was the next day and Sam was coming to visit Dean at work after class again.

"Hey, Sammy! How'd your date with Jess go?"

"Great! I'm seeing her again tonight."

"So I'm guessing you're here so you can ask to use the car again," Dean said. "Why don't you just buy your own car?"

"Actually, I was planning on walking," Sam answered. He smiled slyly before continuing. "I wouldn't wanna make you late for your date with Cas again."

Dean almost dropped the wrench he was holding. "I am NOT dating Cas."

Sam held up his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say, man, but for the record it's fine either way. I don't care who you date."

"Who's Dean dating?" Bobby asked, coming up behind Sam. "You never told me you about no girl, boy."

"I'm not dating anyone, Bobby," Dean said.

"Well then get back to work. And Sam, you better stop distracting him or you can pick up a wrench and start helping. Ya idjits."

* * *

Cas got to the diner a little early that day and decided to just wait outside so he and Dean could go in together. He'd only been waiting for a minute or two when Crowley showed up flanked by two large men in leather jackets.

"Look who it is, boys," Crowley said with a sneer. "It's Losechester's nerdy little friend."

Cas started backing away slowly, not knowing what else to do. Crowley and his buddies followed him, taking two steps forward for every one he took back. He wanted to run, but he knew they'd probably just chase him.

"Where's Dean?" Crowley asked. "Did he finally realize you aren't worth defending?"

Crowley didn't know how much that remark hurt Castiel. It was Cas's biggest fear that Dean would suddenly decide he wasn't worth it anymore and leave.

"What's wrong, Cas? Cat got your tongue?"

By now Crowley was very close to Cas who was sweating nervously.

"Don't you know it's polite to answer when someone's talking to you?" Crowley asked. Cas's mouth was very dry and he didn't think he could speak even if he wanted to.

"Maybe we should teach him a lesson, Crowley," one of Crowley's buddies suggested.

"Good idea. His first class will be on knuckle sandwiches." He grabbed Cas by his shirt collar and started dragging him into an alley.

"Hey!" _Thank God_, Cas thought. Dean's voice had never been more beautiful to him.

Crowley turned around, keeping his hold on Cas's shirt. "Losechester! You decided to join the party!"

"Let him go you sons of bitches!" Dean yelled. Cas had never seen him look so angry before. It was a little bit frightening.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to make me," Crowley said with a smile. Dean punched him in the mouth so quickly Cas almost missed it. Crowley's men immediately grabbed Dean and held him back, one on each arm. Crowley shoved Cas on the ground and let him go. He wiped the blood off his lip as he walked towards Dean.

"Get out of here, Cas! I can handle these chumps!" Dean cried as he struggled against their hold on him.

Crowley turned back to look at Cas. "Isn't that sweet? Your boyfriend's trying to look out for you," he teased. Cas's face turned bright red and Crowley looked surprised. "So there's some truth to it? Well then, I'll enjoy this even more."

Cas watched in horror as Crowley took the first punch. He scrambled to his feet as Dean took blow after blow to his face and stomach.

"Stop it!" Cas cried, grabbing Crowley's arm and trying to pull him away. Crowley just pushed him back on the ground and continued punching. Cas got back up and jumped on Crowley's back, wrapping his arms around his neck. Crowley staggered back, trying to loosen Cas's grip. His friends ran over to help him, releasing Dean who crumpled to the ground. They managed to pull Cas off Crowley's back and threw him to the ground so hard he saw stars.

"Why you little…" Crowley said, getting on top of Cas. He pulled his arm back and Cas prepared himself for the blow.

"Hey!" someone yelled. "Get out of here before I call the police!" Crowley got up and ran away and his buddies were quick to follow.

Cas sat up, his head throbbing. Gabe, the owner of the diner, was standing there with a bat. He must've been the one who chased Crowley away.

"You alright?" Gabe asked, offering his hand to help Cas up.

Cas nodded. "I think so."

"What about your friend?" Dean wasn't moving and his face was pretty bloodied up.

"I don't know." Cas walked over to Dean and knelt down, cradling Dean's head in his arms. He was breathing, but his nose looked broken and he had a black eye and two swollen lips. There was blood all over his face.

"You should get him to a hospital," Gabe suggested.

"You're right." With shaking hands, Cas reached into Dean's pocket and took out his keys. "Will you help me get him into the car?"


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: **You know how everyone's going back to school so they're writing less? Yeah well, I have the opposite problem. I'm an unemployed high school graduate who's siblings already went back to school so I'm home alone with way too much time on my hands. So expect more updates._

_Anyway I knew ya'll would be itching to find out what happened to Dean and I'm probably more emotionally invested in this story than you are so I was itching to write it._

_As always, write a review or send me a PM because I'm dying to know what you think!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

Cas's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove to the hospital. Dean was still out cold in the backseat. It killed Cas to see him so bloody and broken.

"Cas?" Cas looked back at Dean so fast he almost crashed the car.

"It's going to be okay, Dean," Cas told him, keeping his eyes on the road and resisting the urge to look back again. Dean groaned in pain as he tried to sit up. "Lay back down and try not to move. We're on the way to the hospital right now."

"What happened?" he asked.

"Crowley," Cas said, gripping the steering wheel even tighter, his knuckles turning white. "He had two guys hold you back while he beat you senseless. I managed to pull him away from you, but I would've been done for if Gabe hadn't come out and chased them away with a bat."

"Gabe? The little guy from the diner?"

Cas nodded. "He threatened to call the police if they didn't clear out."

"Shit, Cas, are you okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm okay, Dean, don't worry about me. It's you we need to be worrying about."

They pulled into the hospital parking lot and Cas hopped out as fast as he could to help Dean. Draping one arm over Cas's shoulder and leaning heavily on him for support, Dean was able to walk into the hospital.

As soon as they walked through the door, a nurse ran over to help them. Her nametag said her name was Sarah.

"I'll take him to a room, you take care of his paperwork," she said to Cas. "Jane!"

A nurse with fiery red hair ran over to them.

"Will you help this young man with his friend's paperwork? We'll be in room 236."

"Of course, Sarah," Nurse Jane said.

"Do you need a wheelchair or can you walk?" Nurse Sarah asked Dean.

"I can walk."

"Are you sure? The wheelchairs are right over there. It wouldn't be any trouble for me to get you one."

"I can do it," Dean insisted. He let go of Cas and staggered a few steps forward before gasping in pain and wrapping his arms around his chest.

Nurse Sarah pursed her lips. "I'm guessing you have a few broken ribs. Let me get you a wheelchair."

Cas watched as she wheeled Dean away and vowed that Crowley would never hurt him again, not if he could help it.

"Let's get started on that paperwork," Nurse Jane said. Cas nodded and turned to follow her to the desk. "Oh my!" she suddenly exclaimed. "What happened to your elbow? Do you want to get that checked out?"

Cas looked down and saw that his shirt had been ripped at the elbow revealing a really nasty scrape that was still bleeding. He was so worried about Dean that he hadn't even noticed it, but now that it was brought to his attention it hurt like hell.

"Maybe I should get it checked out," he agreed. "But I can fill out Dean's paperwork first."

"No, no. The paperwork can wait. Let's go get that cleaned up."

Once Cas was all bandaged up and the paperwork was filled out, he was finally allowed to visit Dean. He opened the door slowly and poked his head in. Dean was awake and Elvis was playing softly on the radio next to his bed.

"Hey, Cas," Dean said.

"Hello, Dean."

"The nurse says I have three broken ribs, a broken nose, some scrapes and bruises, and a concussion. She says I'm lucky none of my broken ribs punctured a lung."

"I'm so sorry, Dean."

"It's not your fault, Cas," Dean assured him. "hey, what happened to your elbow?"

Cas glanced down at his bandaged elbow. "I must've scraped it when I fell during the fight," he said.

"I'm sorry, Cas."

"You don't need to apologize, Dean."

"Yeah, I do. I should've protected you from Crowley. You should've never been in harms way."

"It's not your fault, Dean. You did your best. There were three of them."

"Dean?" Cas turned around. An older man with a beard and a ball cap had just walked through the door.

"Bobby?" Dean said. "How'd you know I was here?"

"The hospital called me ya idjit. I'm your emergency contact," Bobby said. "What happened to you, boy?"

"Crowley and his gang got the best of me this time," Dean answered.

"Crowley? I thought I told you to stop picking fights with that lowlife."

"I know, Bobby, I'm sorry."

"It wasn't Dean's fault," Cas said. "He was defending me."

"And who are you, boy?"

"Bobby, this is Castiel," Dean said. "My…friend."

"Nice to meet you, Castiel."

"You can call me Cas."

* * *

Cas stayed for as long as he could, but he eventually had to leave because he had class in the morning. Dean was sleeping, so he got up from his chair as quietly as he could and slipped out, catching one last glimpse of him before closing the door.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note: **__Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter!_

_Send me a review or a PM to let me know what you think! Seriously if you think I need improvement, let me know!_

_Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!_

* * *

Dean went home the next day. There wasn't much the hospital could do for his broken ribs after they wrapped them, so the rest of his healing would be done at home. Cas came to visit him after his last class. He walked up to the door and knocked on it three times.

"Dean?" he called. "It's me, Cas."

"Come in!" Dean's voice called from within, followed by a gasp of pain and a groan. Cas opened the door as quickly as he could.

"Are you okay, Dean?"

"Yeah I'm fine, Cas. It just hurts to breathe or talk loud or cough." Dean was laying on the couch with an icepack on his chest. His shirt was off, so Cas could see the bandages that were wrapped around his ribs.

"Do you need me to get you anything? Does your icepack need to be changed? Do you need food or water?"

"Don't worry about me, Cas. I've been fending for myself all day before you showed up, haven't I? What I really need is some company. The radio's busted, so I've been bored out of my mind. Have a seat." Dean gestured to an armchair near the couch.

"Alright," Cas said, dragging the armchair a little closer and sitting down.

"So what's buzzin' cuzzin'?" Dean asked. "How's college life treating you?"

"College life has been suiting me well. I've been learning a lot in my classes and it's nice to be on my own away from my parents."

"Do you have your eye on any good-lookin' chicks?"

Cas shook his head. "None of them have really caught my eye."

"Really? A college full of girls training to be nurses and teachers and you don't like a single one of them?"

"No. None of the _girls _really appeal to me."

The emphasis on the word "girls" was subtle, but it was definitely there. Dean scarcely allowed himself to hope what that might mean.

"Well with a handsome face like yours, I thought the girls would be coming to you."

Cas blushed. He couldn't believe Dean just called him handsome. It took him a moment to recover his senses enough to answer.

"If they were I wouldn't notice," he said. _I only notice you_, he thought, but of course he didn't say that.

"Okay then," Dean said. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"What about you, Dean?" Cas asked.

"What about me?"

"With a good-lookin' face like yours, I would've thought you'd have a girlfriend or something."

Dean laughed. "It's not so good-lookin' right now."

Cas rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help smiling a little. "You know what I mean."

"I use to have a girlfriend, but not anymore," he answered. "Now my car's the only woman in my life and she's the only one I need."

Just then they heard the door open.

"Hey Dean! Hey Cas!" Sam said as he walked into the living room. "Just coming to check how things are going. I brought you some beer."

"Thanks, Sammy," Dean said. "Just put it in the fridge."

Sam nodded and stepped into the kitchen. "So I heard Crowley did this?" he asked when he came back.

Dean nodded. "The son of a bitch had his buddies hold me back while he used me as a punching bag."

"What about Cas? I heard he was there too."

"He was the one that pulled him away from me," Dean said. "By the way, Cas, how's your elbow?"

"It's healing quite nicely and it doesn't even hurt. In fact I'd forgotten about it until you mentioned it."

"That's good. I'm sorry you got hurt, though. I should've never let Crowley near you."

"It's not your fault."

"Feels like it is."

"Hey let's lighten the mood with some music," Sam suggested.

"Radio's busted," Dean said.

Sam took a look at it. "It's not plugged in, Dean."

"Oh. Well plug it in and turn it up! I've been going crazy with no Elvis all day."

Cas looked at his watch and sighed. "I have to go," he said as he got up. "I have a lot of reading to get done by tomorrow." He turned to leave, but Dean reached up and grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"See you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Of course."

Dean smiled his big beautiful smile and let Cas's wrist go. "Later, gator," he said.

Cas smiled back. "In a while, crocodile." He walked out the door leaving Dean and Sam alone in the living room.

"Man, you've got it bad," Sam said once he was gone.

"Shut up, Sam."

"I'm just saying the way you look at him—"

Dean hit him with a pillow. "I said shut up!"

"Fine!" Sam said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "Just one question, though."

"What?"

"Do you think he's a dreamboat?"

"Damn it, Sam!"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note: **__Hey!_

_Okay so I have to tell you that I was really mean to you guys in this chapter. I'm so sorry. But on the bright side I will tell you that we're getting really close to when Dean and Cas actually get together! So yay!_

_Anyway, please leave me a review or a PM to tell me what you think!_

_WARNING: A few characters in this chapter say some really offensive things about homosexuals._

* * *

Cas got out of his last class on Friday and started walking toward his dorm to put his books away so he could go see Dean again. It was his favorite part of the day, so he was in a hurry to get there. But when he was halfway there, a couple of guys stopped him. He recognized them from one of his classes.

"Hey, Castiel!" one of them said. "We heard an interesting rumor about you today."

Cas squinted his eyes and tilted his head. "What kind of rumor?" he asked warily.

"We heard you're a faggot," the other one said bluntly.

"Where did you hear that?" Cas asked in surprise.

"Here and there. Word's spreading pretty quickly."

Cas was beginning to panic. How did people find out he was gay? The only person who knew was Balthazar, but he wouldn't tell anyone.

"Where _exactly _did you hear that from?" he asked, trying not to let his panic show.

"Aren't you going to deny it? Or is it true?"

Cas was only half paying attention now because he was trying to figure out how word had gotten out. Suddenly he realized that it must've been Crowley spreading the rumors. He'd guessed Cas's feelings right before beating up Dean.

"Oh my god he's not denying it!" one of the guys yelled. "He really is a faggot!

"No! It's not true!" Cas cried. But he knew it was in vain. He'd always been a horrible liar.

"Shut up, fag!" one of them yelled. Then he punched Cas right in the face. Cas went down easily; he didn't have much experience with fights.

"That's what you get for being a sick bastard," the other one said.

"What's going on?" asked a girl who was walking by with her friend.

"Castiel here is a faggot and we were just punishing him for being such a disgusting person. You might want to stay back ladies. You don't want to catch a disease."

"Ew!" one of the girls exclaimed. "And to think I thought he was cute!"

"Ain't nothing cute about a homosexual," one of the guys said as he kicked Cas in the stomach so hard he threw up his lunch.

"Hey! Leave him alone! Get out of here!" Both the boys ran, neither one wanting to go up against the six foot four sasquatch that is Sam Winchester.

"Sam," Cas croaked.

"Are you alright, Cas?" Sam asked, helping him up.

"I think so," he answered. "Nothing's broken at least."

"Do you know why they did this to you?"

"They said they heard rumors that I was gay, so they were punishing me."

"Who told them that?"

"My best guess is that Crowley's been spreading rumors."

"I'm gonna kill that bastard," Sam promised. "Come on. Let's go get you cleaned up."

* * *

Dean sat on the couch drinking beer and wondering where Sam and Cas could possibly be. He knew exactly when they got out of class and it didn't take that long to get from the college to his house. Finally, Sam and Cas walked through the door.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said. Dean gasped when he saw him.

"What the hell happened to your eye?"

"I got hit."

"I can see that, Cas!" Dean yelled. "Who did it to you?"

"A couple of guys I go to school with."

"What? Why?"

"Crowley's been spreading rumors that I'm a homosexual. He's probably spreading them about you, too."

"I'm gonna kill them. All of them," Dean said, getting up from the couch.

"Not happening, Dean," Sam told him, pushing him back onto the couch. "You're in no condition to fight anybody. The doctors said your ribs won't be fully healed for several more weeks."

"So what am I supposed to do? Just let them get away with this?"

"You don't have to protect me, Dean," Cas said.

Dean looked Cas right in the eyes. "I told you that if you hung around me, you'd never get picked on again. But look what's happened! I'm doing a lousy job! In fact, I'm pretty sure hanging around me is making it worse."

"What are you saying, Dean?"

"I'm saying maybe I'm no good for you, Cas."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note: **Hello everyone!_

_So here's a new chapter! Don't worry, I was much nicer to you in this one than I was in the last one. But please leave me a review or PM to tell me what you think!_

_Thanks, guys! Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

"Don't say that, Dean," Cas said, staring at him intently.

"This seems like something you two need to talk about, so I'll just leave," Sam said. Neither of them said anything as he walked out.

"What do you mean you're not good for me, Dean?" Cas asked once Sam was gone.

"I don't know, Cas. Look at what's happened! Two fights in a week! Did anything this bad happen to you before you met me?"

"No, but that's beside the point."

"What do you mean it's beside the point? It's exactly my point, Cas!"

Cas glared at him for a moment. "I need a drink," he said before stepping into the kitchen.

"I didn't know you drank," Dean said when he came out with a beer.

"I didn't until now."

"See? Look at what I'm doing to you!"

"I am an adult and I can make my own choices, Dean," he said, taking a swig of his beer.

"I know, Cas. I just think it would be better for you if we weren't friends." It was killing Dean to say it, but he needed to protect him. But it was killing Cas to hear it, too.

"Why are you saying this? Do you not like me anymore? Have you decided I'm not worth it?" Cas asked, his voice rising. It was his worst nightmare coming true: that Dean would no longer want to be friends with him.

"No, Cas! Of course not! Of course I still like you! You are worth it. You are more than worth it and you always will be. But don't you see? That's why we can't be friends. You'll just get hurt and it'll be all my fault. _I'm_ not worth the trouble for _you_."

Cas looked at him for a moment before chugging his beer and getting another one. "You know what your problem is?" he asked, coming out of the kitchen and popping the top off his new beer. "You blame everything on yourself. But not everything is your fault, Dean. You can't control everything. And if we stopped being friends right now, it wouldn't solve anything. The rumors would still be out there. People would still pick fights with me whether we continue being friends or not. And you know what? I think you're worth it. So don't you dare think otherwise. And why do you care so much anyway? You met me a week ago."

"Because Cas, I just…_do_, alright?

"That's not an answer, Dean," Cas said quietly.

"I know," Dean practically whispered, looking down at his hands.

"For the record, I care about you too."

"You do?" Dean looked up into Cas's eyes and saw that he was sincere.

"Yeah, I do."

They were silent for a moment and then Cas took another swig of his beer. Making a face, he said, "This stuff is disgusting by the way."

Dean laughed, causing him to wince and clutch his chest. Cas was at his side immediately.

"I'm fine, Cas. Don't worry about it," he said, waving him off.

But Cas was insistent. "You don't have to act brave or though, Dean. I already know you're brave and tough. And I also know that breaking a rib, let alone _three_ ribs, is very painful. So if you need something then tell me."

"In that case, some ice would be nice," he said.

Cas smiled. "I'll be right back." He left and came back with a fresh icepack and held it to Dean's chest.

"I got it," Dean said, reaching up to take it from him.

First their hands met, then their eyes. Green and blue staring back at each other. Neither of them moved for several moments. Then Cas did something he would never normally do. Maybe it was the beer. Maybe it was the way Dean was looking at him. But whatever it was, it made Cas stop thinking for a moment which was just long enough for him to lean in and kiss Dean right on the mouth.

The kiss took them both by surprise at first, but Dean was quick to recover and he started kissing back. Cas ahd expected him to push him away, but to his pleasant surprise, Dean was grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him closer. The ice pack fell out of their hands and lay forgotten on the floor. Dean couldn't believe Cas was kissing him. He tasted like beer and was a pretty good kisser for someone who claimed to have never kissed anyone before.

They finally broke away, breathing heavily. Dean ignored the pain in his chest that each breath caused him. He barely even noticed it.

"So where does this leave us? Cas asked.

"I don't know," Dean answered honestly. "But I'm not leaving you any time soon."


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: **__Hi!_

_I hope y'all liked the last chapter and I hope you'll like this one too! Dean and Cas are finally together! Yay!_

_Please leave a review or a PM and let me know what you think! And I haven't said this in a while, bit as a reminder feel free to let me know if you're having trouble understanding the slang._

_But anyway, enjoy!_

* * *

The next morning was Saturday, so Sam came early to check on Dean. He wasn't sure if he was awake yet, so he opened the door quietly. What he saw when he came into the living room was both Dean and Cas sleeping fully clothed on the couch. He smiled to himself and grabbed a blanket from Dean's room. As he was laying the blanket on top of them, Dean stirred and Sam froze. But it was too late. Dean was already waking up.

"Sammy?" he said groggily. He rubbed his eyes before noticing Cas. His eyes grew wide and he shook his head at Sam. "It's not what it looks like, man."

"It's exactly what it looks like, Dean. And I already told you I'm cool with it, so don't have a cow."

"But nothing happened!" Dean insisted as he tried to get his arm out from under a sleeping Cas.

"Oh I'm sure _something_ happened," Sam said, flopping down in the armchair. "Let me guess, you and Cas were talking last night after I left and the talking turned into making out and then you started talking again before nodding off on the couch together."

"Shut up, Sam."

"Wow, I never expected to get it spot on."

"You're cruisin' for a bruisin'." Dean was still trying to free his arm and Cas, still asleep, tried to adjust himself to Dean's movement and ended up falling off the couch.

"What's happening?" he asked, bolting awake. He noticed Sam sitting in the armchair and blushed deep red. "This—this isn't—Dean and I were just—"

"It's okay," Sam interrupted. "I already know everything."

"Oh," Cas said, still looking a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Sam laughed. "How about some breakfast? I need to refuel."

* * *

Cas spent most of the rest of the day with Dean, but he went back to his dorm to sleep that night instead of staying with Dean again. He left Dean's place pretty late though, to avoid running into people on campus on his way to his dorm. Then the next day was Sunday, so he had to go to church and Sunday dinner with his family again to keep up appearances. If he could, he would've skipped out on the whole thing. All church did was remind him how much of a sinner he was for being with Dean. His parents lived in the next town over, an hour and a half away, so Balthazar gave him and Anna a ride. When they got there, their parents greeted them warmly.

"Balthazar! Anna! Castiel! It's so good to see you!"

"Hello, mum," Balthazar said.

"Oh, Balthazar, when are you going to stop using that silly British accent?"

"When it stops bugging you, mum."

"Balthazar! Why must you tease your dear old mother like that?"

"Hi, mom," said Anna.

"Anna! You look more beautiful every time I see you."

"Thank you, mom."

"Hello, mother," Cas said.

"Cas! Have you grown since I last saw you?"

"No, mother. I stopped growing and you saw me last week."

"Well, I know _something's _different about you, but oh well. Come into the dining room; dinner's almost ready."

"Boys! Anna!" their father greeted them when they entered the dining room. "How are ya?"

"Very well, father," they all answered.

Samandriel entered the room.

"Sammy!" Balthazar said happily. "Come give your favorite older brother a hug!"

"Alright then," he answered with mischievous a grin on his face. He walked right past Balthazar and hugged Cas who laughed.

"That hurts me, Sam," Balthazar said with mock hurt in his voice. "That hurts me right in the heart."

"I'm just kidding, Balthazar. I love you both. Come here," he said, giving Balthazar a hug, too.

"What about me?" Anna asked.

"Of course I couldn't forget my favorite older sister," he said, giving her a hug as well.

Just then their mother brought out the chicken and they all sat down and said grace before they ate.

"So how has school been for you, Anna and Cas?" their mother asked.

"Fine," Cas answered.

"It's been swell, mother," Anna answered. "But I've been hearing a lot of weird rumors about Castiel lately." _Oh no_, Cas thought. _Please don't bring this up, Anna._ But she continued. "Of course I've been telling everyone they're not true, but I've been wondering where the rumors came from. Castiel, did you know people having been saying you're gay?"

Their father nearly choked on his chicken. "People have been saying WHAT about my boy?"

Cas was frozen in his seat, trying not to panic. _Why?_ he thought. _Of all places, why on earth did Anna decide to bring this up at Sunday dinner?_

"Cas, honey, do you have any idea how these rumors got started?" his mother asked.

"I-I-" Cas stuttered.

"Some bloke named Crowley started it," Balthazar cut in. Cas gave him a grateful look."

"Why would this Crowley fellow spread such awful rumors about you, Cas?" his father asked.

Cas could see no way around the question and he was a horrible liar anyway. Gathering all his courage, he looked his father right in the eyes and said, "Because they're true."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's note: **__Hi y'all!_

_Sorry you had to wait so long for this chapter. Guess who got jury duty and couldn't write for a while? That's right, me. Oh the joys of being an adult. Anyway, I'm sure y'all have been dying to know how Cas's family reacted to his little announcement, so I worked as fast as I could. Also, there are a few song lyrics at the end of this chapter from the song _Earth Angel _by The Penguins. I highly recommend you look it up because it's one of my favorite 50s songs._

_As always, I love feedback of any kind, so please send me a review or a PM to let me know what you think!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

"What did you say?" Cas's father asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

Cas took in a shaky breath and repeated himself. "I said the rumors about me are true."

"Son, let me get this straight. Are you telling me you're gay?" He was still using that dangerously quiet voice that reminded Cas of a dormant volcano about to blow.

"Yes, sir," Cas managed to say.

"Get out of my house, boy. You are a vile sinner. You are not my son."

Balthazar decided to cut in just then. "Don't you think that's a little harsh?"

That comment was what made the volcano blow. "Don't defend him, Balthazar! He is soiling our good family name!" their father roared. "Castiel, I said, GET OUT!"

Cas stood up quickly and took one last look at his family. His mother was crying, his father looked murderous, Anna was in shock, and Samandriel was looking at him with pity. Balthazar was the only one not looking at him because he was glaring at their father. Cas only stood there for a moment before bolting to the door while holding back tears. Once he was on the front porch, he stopped and broke down crying. They hadn't reacted any worse than he expected, but he couldn't help crying anyway.

After a moment he had a strong desire to go to Dean's house. He was an outcast at school and shunned by his own family, so where else could he go?

He heard some arguing coming form inside the house ending with his father shouting, "Then you can leave, too!" Balthazar came out the door moments later.

"Come on, Cas," he said. "Let's go." Cas took a few deep breaths and managed to calm down. He got in the car with Balthazar and they started driving back home.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Balthazar."

"No need to thank me, Cassie. Our father was being completely unreasonable. What was I supposed to do?"

The rest of the ride was mostly spent in silence. Cas couldn't help crying most of the way, but they were silent tears. When they started getting close to town, Cas asked Balthazar if he could drop him off at Dean's instead of his dorm. When they got there, Cas made sure he wiped all his tears away before opening the door.

"Cas?" Dean asked, sitting up as quickly as he could without hurting himself.

"Cas is here?" Sam asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"Hello, Dean," Cas said. "Hello, Sam."

"Cas, have you been crying?" Dean asked. "Are you all right?"

Cas locked his jaw and blinked back tears. He did't want to cry in front of Dean, but he knew if he opened his mouth to answer he'd start sobbing. So he just shook his head. No, he was definitely not all right.

"Come sit down, Cas. tell us what happened," Dean said, patting the spot next to him on the couch. Cas came and sat down.

"I told my family that I'm gay, and my father called me a vile sinner and kicked me out. Balthazar was the only one who stood up for me. He's the one who drove me here." Dean gave Cas a hug, causing him to wince.

"Don't move too much, Dean," Sam scolded.

"Sorry, he told Sam. Then he said to Cas, "Who needs fathers anyway? I didn't need mine. And if God was real, I can't believe he'd call someone like you a vile sinner."

"Thank you, Dean." Cas leaned his head against Dean's shoulder and they were silent for a few moments.

"I'm gonna go hang with Jess," Sam said, getting up to leave.

"Okay, Cas said.

"Why don't we turn on the radio?" Dean suggested when he was gone. Cas agreed, so Dean reached over and turned it on. Cas snuggled up to Dean as they listened to the last few bars of a song. Then _Earth Angel_ came on and Dean began to sing along softly in Cas's ear.

_"Earth angel, earth angel  
Will you be mine?  
My darling dear,  
Love you all the time.  
I'm just a fool,  
A fool in love with you._

_Earth angel, earth angel  
The one I adore.  
Love you forever and ever more.  
I'm just just a fool,  
A fool in love with you..."_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note:** Hello my dear readers!_

_Sorry this chapter is a little late, but a GIANT storm Sunday night limited my internet/computer access. And this chapter is a bit longer than the others so it took me a little longer to write._

_But anyway, please leave me a review or a PM to tell me what you think! I thrive on your input, whether good or bad!_

_Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

The next morning, Cas woke up lying next to Dean in his bed. They hadn't done anything but sleep the night before, but he still smiled at the memory. Cas hadn't wanted to go back to his dorm and Dean had offered to let him stay, so he did. But they figured the bed would be more comfortable than the couch, so they'd moved into the bedroom. Cas wasn't ready to do anything more than snuggling and maybe some kissing and he didn't think Dean could do much more than that with his injuries anyway, so they'd just slept and enjoyed being near each other.

Cas turned over and looked at the clock on the nightstand. "Oh no," he whispered. He was going to be late for class. He scrambled out of bed as quickly as he could waking Dean up in the process.

"Cas?" he asked groggily. "Where are you going?"

"I've gotta split or I'm gonna be late for class," Cas told him.

"Oh, ok. Don't forget to come back to see me after."

"I would never forget to come see you, Dean," he said. Then he leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing out the door.

Dean smiled and rolled over. He tried to hold onto the feeling of Cas's lips on his cheek for as long as he could before drifting back to sleep.

* * *

Cas had to stop at his dorm to grab his books before going to class, but when he got there he saw someone was waiting for him.

"Anna?" he said in surprise.

"The dean is looking for you," she said flatly. "It's urgent." Then she turned and walked away.

Puzzled, Cas made his way to the dean's office. He knocked on the door.

"Come in." Cas opened the door and stepped into the office. "Ah, Castiel. We need to talk. Please sit down." The dean's solemn look and tone of voice did not bode well for Castiel. Nervously, he sat down in the chair in front of the dean's desk.

"What do we need to talk about, sir?"

"Word has reached me that you have been engaging in homosexual activities," the dean said. Cas's throat went dry. "That kind of behavior will not be tolerated at this school. I'm afraid I'm going to have to expel you."

"Expel me?"

The dean stood up and slammed his hands down on the desk. "Do you know what they do to homosexuals, son? You could be thrown in jail or locked up in a mental institution. You should feel lucky that I'm not calling the authorities. So you better go pack up your things and leave right now or I will call them."

Cas nodded as he got up and left, trying not to panic as he made his way back to his dorm. When he got there, he saw two guys haphazardly throwing all his stuff into the hallway.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

"We volunteered to help you move your stuff out, one of them said.

The other one laughed. "You should be grateful! You just got here and we're already halfway done!"

Fighting back tears, Cas ran down the hall to his dorm building's shared phone and began dialing as quickly as he could.

"Hello?"

"Balthazar! You have to help me. I've been expelled and two guys are throwing my stuff out of my dorm room!"

"I'll be right there, Cas. Don't worry."

Cas hung up the phone and started trying to salvage as much of his stuff as he could, but when he got hit in the head with a flying book, he decided to stop and wait for Balthazar. He finally arrived after the two boys were long gone. They'd stopped after throwing out everything in the dorm room that didn't belong to the school.

"Oh, Cas," Balthazar said when he saw Cas kneeling on the ground picking up the pieces of a broken picture frame, tears streaming down his face. A stack of books with slightly rumpled pages was sitting beside him. The rest of his possessions were still strewn about the hallway. "Come on, I'll help take this stuff to my car."

"Thank you, Balthazar," Cas said.

"Where do you want to go?" Balthazar asked once they were done packing the car. "You're welcome to stay at my house."

"Thanks. Can you take me to Dean's house first, though?"

"Alright, get in."

* * *

They pulled up in front of the house and saw that a bunch of eggs had been thrown at it. Hurrying out of the car, Cas ran to the door and burst through it.

"Dean!"

"Cas?" Dean knew Cas was supposed to be in class, so he was worried. He knew something had to be wrong.

"Someone egged your house!" Cas exclaimed.

"I know, Cas. Don't have a cow about it. It was just a bunch of kids. I chased them away earlier and they started yelling at me for being a fag," Dean said. But he was more concerned with Cas's problems than his own right now. "Why aren't you in class?"

"I-I got expelled," Cas said, trying to fight back the devastation that washed over him at the thought.

"Expelled? Why?"

"Apparently the dean found out about me being gay."

"I'm so sorry, Cas. Did they kick you out of your dorm?" Dean asked. Cas nodded. "Do you have a place to stay?"

"Balthazar offered to let me stay at his house," he told him.

"Oh," Dean said. Then he got an idea and blushed just thinking about it. But he decided to ask anyway. "You could...stay with me...if you want."

"Cas!" Balthazar called, coming up behind him. "I'm not gonna wait around for you all day."

"Hey! Balthazar!" Dean greeted him with a smile. "What's buzzin' cuzzin'? I haven't seen you since that day in the diner when Cas introduced us."

"Hello, Dean. I'm well, thanks. How are your ribs healing up?"

"Just fine. They won't be completely back to normal for a few more weeks, but moving gets less painful every day."

"Good to hear. So are you ready to leave, Cassie?"

"Change of plans, Balthazar," Cas said. "I'm moving in with Dean."


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note: **Hi everyone!_

_Good news! This chapter is much happier than the last several have been! Think of it as an apology for the way I've been treating the characters lately. So I hope you enjoy it :)_

_As always, I LOVE feedback whether positive or negative, so please leave me a review or a PM!_

_Thanks guys! Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

Dean woke up the next morning with Cas lying beside him. He smiled and scooted closer so he could kiss him behind the ear. Cas sighed contentedly, but continued sleeping.

Dean slid back over to his side of the bed and got up. After a moment's thought, he decided to surprise Cas by making breakfast. By now, the pain in his ribs was much more manageable, so he figured he could survive making some eggs and bacon.

* * *

Cas woke up to find Dean missing.

"Dean?" he called, a note of worry in his voice.

"I'm in the kitchen, Cas!" Sighing with relief, Cas got out of bed and padded down the hallway to the kitchen. Dean was at the stove with his back to him.

"What's all this?" he asked when he saw all the food Dean had prepared.

"Breakfast!" Dean answered, turning around with a fresh pan of eggs. When he saw Cas, he laughed. "You have to do something about that bed head of yours, man. Actually, never mind. I kind of like it."

"Dean!" Bobby yelled, bursting through the kitchen door.

"Bobby?" Dean asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Ash came in to work today and told me heard you were gay. He says half the town knows about it. Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Bobby growled.

Dean felt like he got slapped in the face. He'd never told Bobby he was bisexual because he never _technically _told that to anyone before. But he'd always assumed or at least hoped that Bobby would accept him for it.

"I-I'm sorry, Bobby," he stammered, hanging his head in shame.

"That's all you have to say? Sorry?"

Dean suddenly got very angry. "Actually, no. I take that back. This is who I am and I'm not gonna apologize for it! So you can either accept me for who I am or get the hell out of my damn house!"

"I'm not mad at you for being gay ya idjit!" Bobby cried.

"You're not?"

"No! I'm mad at you for not telling me, boy! Half the town knew about it before me! Since when am I not trustworthy? I practically raised you!" Dean smiled with relief and hugged him. How could he ever think Bobby would judge him for something like this? Of course Bobby would be understanding. He always was.

"I'm so relieved to hear that, Bobby."

"Of course I don't care that you're gay, boy. Why would I?"

"Yeah, it was stupid of me to think that. And I'm not gay, by the way," Dean said, releasing Bobby from the hug. "I'm _bisexual._ And you're the first person I've told that to, so congratulations, Bobby, you're the first to know."

"You haven't even told your boyfriend over there?" Bobby asked, pointing to Cas. Dean blushed bright red. He'd almost forgotten Cas was there.

"No, he's never told me, but I had my suspicions," Cas answered.

"I'm Bobby Singer, by the way. Didn't I meet you at the hospital after Crowley beat the hell out of Dean?"

"Do you really have to bring that up, Bobby?"

Cas smiled. "Yes, sir," he told Bobby. "I'm Castiel."

"I knew it was something out of the ordinary like that. Anyway, I gotta get back to work now. And you better stop keeping secrets like that form me, Dean!"

"Don't worry, Bobby, I won't," Dean promised.

* * *

That afternoon, Sam came to visit just like usual. Only this time he had a pretty blonde girl with him.

"Dean, Cas, this is my girlfriend, Jess. Jess, this is my brother, Dean, and his boyfriend, Cas," he said.

"Sam! You can't just say the b-word around whoever you want!" Dean complained.

"It's okay, Dean," Jess assured him. "I'm cool with it. I'll admit, it'll take some getting used to since I've never actually seen a gay couple, but Sam convinced me that there's nothing wrong with being gay."

"Isn't she the greatest?" Sam said.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Jess," Dean said.

"Yes," Cas agreed. "Sam has told us a lot about you."

"All good things I hope."

"The way he talks about you, I'd be surprised to find out you had any bad qualities," Dean said.

"Well Sam always likes to flatter me," Jess said.

"Why don't you come sit?" Dean offered. "We were just about to play cards. Why don't you join us?"

"I don't know, Dean..." Sam said.

"Don't be a party pooper, Sam. Come on! We ain't playing for bread," Dean said.

Sam looked at Jess as if to ask if she wanted to. "It sounds like fun," she said.

"And like I said, there's no money involved, so you don't have to worry about losing to me," Dean added.

"Oh, it's so on," Sam said, sitting down with Jess. Dean started dealing out the cards. As he looked around the table, he smiled. Today was the best day he'd had in a while and it looked like things were just going to keep getting better.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note: **Hello my beautiful, wonderful readers!_

_I'm sorry to say it, but this is it! This is the end! Sorry this chapter's a bit short. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoyed the story! It's been so much fun writing it! I never expected it to get this long, but your reviews and support are definitely what got it there! I'm probably going to write another Destiel fic in the near future, so if you liked this one, stay tuned for that. I'm also working on a fic with my friend about Dean, Sam, and Cas meeting Jensen, Jared, and Misha._

_Please leave me a review or a PM to tell me what you think!_

_Thank you all for sticking with this story to the end! You're all wonderful!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

A few days later, Cas woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of something burning. Smoke billowed out from under the bedroom door, filling the room quickly.

"Dean!" he said, frantically shaking him awake. "Fire!"

Dean woke up coughing, his eyes quickly widening with terror when he saw the smoke. "What happened, Cas?" he asked, trying not to panic as he got out of bed and headed for the window, Cas close on his heels.

"I don't know!" Cas told him, also trying not to panic. "I just woke up and the room was filled with smoke!"

Since the smoke was coming from the door, they climbed out the window. Both were thankful that Dean lived in a one-story house. After they got out, they ran around to the front and stood on the sidewalk. Flames engulfed the house. They just stood there in shock as they watched the house burn. They could hear distant sirens and in a few minutes, firetrucks arrived.

Once the flames were out, Dean could feel tears forming in his eyes as he looked at the damage. This was the house he had inherited from his father. It's where he and Sammy had grown up. And now it was burnt almost beyond recognition.

A fireman walked over to him and held up a small lighter. "This was the source of the fire," he said.

Dean stood in shock for a moment before turning to Cas. "This wasn't an accidental fire," he said.

"What?"

"The firemen found a lighter," Dean explained. "People must be even less tolerant than I thought. We have to get out of here, Cas."

"And go where?"

"Let's see if we can salvage any of our possessions and hit the road. We won't stay in any place for too long. Just you and me. What do you say?"

Not to long ago, Cas would've been completely opposed to this idea. Too much of his life was here. But now that his family had turned against him and he'd been kicked out of school, Dean was all he had.

"What about Sam? Balthazar? Bobby?" he asked.

"We'll keep in touch," Dean said. "But the rest of this town needs to be left behind for good. If we stay here, things are just gonna keep getting worse."

"You're right."

They managed to salvage a few articles of clothing each, one picture of Sam and Dean that was a little burnt around the edges, a blanket that smelled strongly of smoke, a small pocket knife, and a bit of emergency money that was tucked away in a drawer.

"I guess this is it," Dean said as he packed everything into the trunk.

"I guess so," Cas agreed. "We should stop to say goodbye to Sam, Bobby, and Balthazar."

"You're right. Let's go."

Of course everyone was sad to see them go, but they all understood. Once Dean and Cas said their last goodbyes, they got in the car and drove out of town. Cas watched the town get smaller in the rear view mirror as Dean drove away. When he couldn't see it anymore, he looked ahead to his new life with Dean.

* * *

They travelled around for years, never staying in one place for more than a few weeks or a month. They took random odd jobs to sustain themselves and lived out of Dean's car. Every once in a while, they'd come back to visit Sam and Jess, Balthazar, and Bobby.

As people became more tolerant, they were finally able to settle down in a house together. Then in 2003 when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage, they were finally able to get married. As they stood together at the altar, both in their sixties, Cas looked at Dean and remembered the first time he saw him walk into _Gabe's Diner_ all those years ago.


End file.
